Day 3 in Bali: Snorkeling trip @ Adventure Scuba Diving Bali

Every now and then when I see my friend's snorkeling pictures on Facebook, it seemed like such an easy and fun activity, and I always wanted to try it.  And I finally did during my trip in Bali! We called up Adventure Scuba Diving a few days before our trip and Sam, the owner of the company, was very helpful as he explained to us what the logistics were and the payment method.  He even offered to meet us at Made's Warung on our first day in Bali to collect our payment. 

It was a perfect weather to go diving on Sunday.  Our trip began at 7:15 a.m. (it might sound early, but the sunshine definitely woke us up at 6-ish) and our diving master said she would come pick us up at Jas' place.  But as Jas' place was a bit hard to find, we met at the Umalas Hotel and Residence instead.  Once we arrived there, we were immediately greeted by a pretty and friendly Australian girl, Prashanti, who smiled and introduced herself as Pea.  As our road trip began in her van, we realized it was a private lesson with only her and this made the whole experience even more personal than we thought!  

Pea told us where we were going and brought us to a cute coffee shop called Anomali Coffee for breakfast and coffee to go.  Pea recommended the banana cake there and we thought it was really delicious and it was the perfect breakfast food!

The drive was about 1.5 hours to a bay called Padangbai and the time flew by as Pea shared with us enthusiastically about her passion for diving and her love for the ocean and animals and she even told us her life story.  Pea often joked with us but she was also very professional at the same time, reminding us that the two main principles for diving trips were "Safe and Fun".  By the end of the drive, we would have learned the different hand gestures for various kinds of fish, the cool restaurants in Bali, and that Pea knew how to speak Indonesian.  

Once Pea parked her car, she brought us to a nearby restaurant at the beach where we could use their toilets to get changed into our swim suits.  Pea inserted our SD card into her underwater camera which proved to be super handy.   After everything was set and ready, we sailed out on a boat to the Blue Lagoon, which was about 5 minutes away, and we officially started our snorkeling adventure!

The currents were quite strong at first, and although Pea taught us how to breathe using the face mask, once we were in the water, we instantly felt like we were in the movie Gravity, with absolutely no control of our bodies!  Thankfully Pea came to the rescue! And as she patiently and skillfully led us to the sea, she showed us how to snorkel like a pro.   It was like a fantasy- came-true when we were below the water and saw the fish- and there were many!  Pea was so casual and calm that made us feel so at ease.  She also demonstrated several duck-dives (which were pretty cool!) and helped us take pictures, and she even picked up the snorkeling fin we dropped in the sea and helped us get back on! 

We had a total of 2 snorkeling sessions in total, and each session was 45-minute long.  Despite not being very good with water, Pea still encouraged us and said we were fantastic and impressive.  Time in the water flew by quickly, and after we finished, we returned to the restaurant at the beach and had lunch with Pea where she ordered a Nasi Campur for us.  Nasi Campur was different from Nasi Goreng as it was served with various kinds of meats, peanuts and fried shrimp krupuk.  We were all very hungry after snorkeling, and the dish certainly tasted authentic and hearty enough to satisfy us. 

The ride home was smooth and Pea even turned on her personal hotspot for us so that we could use her wi-fi in her van.  She showed us the amazing pictures of the fish and coral reefs she took and told us she would send us the pictures later.  After Pea dropped us at Jas' place, it was almost 3 p.m.  I quickly realized I'd left my sunglasses in her van, so we called her up to see if she had them.  Pea was so nice that she offered to bring the shades back to Jas' place when she didn't have to! So we got to see her the next morning again and we hope to see that happy face again very soon! 

Overall remarks:  As my first time snorkeling, it was a truly amazing and memorable experience and this was all because of Pea's dedication and professional attitude.  Of course, we also have to give credit to her fun, down-to-earth and overtly friendly personality which made Pea someone we respect and admire!   A snorkeling day-trip was priced at US$100 per person and we thought we got more than we paid for: an adventure in the  stunning and beautiful ocean with a cheerful and wonderful girl, and we cannot help but love this unique and breathtaking experience!  Adventure Scuba Diving is definitely highly recommended!  Do yourself a favour- book a snorkeling trip with them and try to go with the one and only Pea!

Experience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Safety: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

INFO

Adventure Scuba Diving Bali (website)
Telephone: 62 (0) 821 4571 1594

Lunch @ 和三昧 Wa San Mai

和三昧的日式鐵板燒（teppanyaki) 確實優異出色，難怪在香港那麼多年也能屹立不倒，成為了C家人大時大節指定的餐廳。位於銅鑼灣Sogo旁的東角中心頂樓，地方頗大，環境簡潔感覺舒適，還很巧妙地分為兩邊：一邊是日式定食，另一邊是鐵板燒。我們坐在窗旁的位置，能邊看鐵板燒，邊欣賞高樓大廈的景色。侍應跟廚師的服務態度友善，會主動替我們拍照，唯一美中不足是不能拍攝鐵板燒過程。餐廳有很多不同的鐵板燒套餐可供選擇，而我們點了商務套餐（Business Lunch Set) (＄520二人/$780三人)。套餐裡的每一款菜式也極之出色，尤其是美國牛肉薄燒，牛味相當濃厚，夾帶蒜絲和洋蔥，非常清盈爽口。我們後加的一客日本珍珠蠔 ($80/6pc)更是整餐的亮點，烤得質感幼滑無比，鮮味扣人心弦，是巧奪天工之作。午餐大概要每人＄250 到＄300。

The most remarkable thing about Japanese teppanyaki is seeing your food being cooked and transformed into one delicious dish after another in front of you with a few tricks and spectacles involved!  When it comes to teppanyaki dinners in Hong Kong, C's family loves going to Wa San Mai and that is why we felt that it was a perfect place to go for a special lunch last month because Michelins aren't just good or exciting enough! 

Wa San Mai is located on the 22/F next to the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay.  It is a huge place split into two sections: one for normal Japanese food, and the other is what we came here for--the teppanyaki!  Considering it was a Sunday lunch, the place was still quite packed and the earliest time we could get was 1:30 p.m.  By the time we were seated at the grill table, we were completely famished.  The place was casual yet elegant at the same time, with spacious seating and we were lucky enough to be seated next to a big window with a sunny view of the buildings in Causeway Bay.  

The staffs were very polite and attentive in helping us into our aprons (the aprons were to prevent us from being splashed by the oil) and the chefs were also professional and friendly (offering to take pictures for us on multiple occasions), although they invited us not to take pictures of the menu or film the cooking (to which we secretly and strongly objected to because we wanted to take as many pictures and footage as possible for the price!).  There are many sets offered for teppanyaki with a lot of different combos and we ordered a Business Set Lunch (＄520 for 2 pax/$780 for 3 pax).  After waiting for a while, we were thrilled to see our fresh and raw ingredients arriving next to the grill, ready to be cooked! Lunch was priced at around $250 to $300 per person.

(1) Initially we didn't know which dish to expect as our chef wasted no time and immediately placed multiple items on the grill and started cooking them at once, while she danced around the place. The first course, 北海道貝柱 Hokkaido Scallop, was D's favourite.  Each of us only got one piece, yet it was totally satisfying and juicy.  It was perfectly grilled to achieve an outstanding flavour and texture. 

(2) We love goose livers and we were more than happy to find that 法國鵝肝 Goose Liver was naturally light with an enticing flavour.  The goose liver was ultra tender and thoroughly grilled, creating one of the most alluring dishes. 

(3) The 酒煮蜆 Boiled Clam with Sake was another memorable dish.  The clam was wondrously sweet and fresh, further enhanced by the refined and bittersweet taste of the sake broth. 

(4) The 美國牛肉薄燒 US Sliced Beef was an exceptional dish. What amazed us was the thinness of the slice of beef, with garlic and onion fillings , offered a symphony of harmonious and unforgettable flavours. 

(5) At first we had no idea what 日本赤豚薑燒 Japanese Red Pork with Ginger Sauce was, and when we saw our chef started laying out thin slice of dough on top of the grill, we wondered even more.  The dish turned out to be a pork slices wrap and it was heartening. C noted that it was like a Japanese version of fried dumplings. 

(6) We decided to add an extra order of 日本珍珠蠔 Japanese Oysters ($80/6pc) which was simply phenomenal!  It completely showed off the the chef's skills again in handling fresh ingredients and turning them into wonderful scrumptious dishes.  The portion was generous and each oyster was grilled to perfection to bring out a delicate, delicious and superb flavour which left us in awe! 

Overall remarks: All the dishes at Wa San Mai are first-rate and the teppanyaki meals are just incredible.  Impressed, D said that "when they did it right, it was really spectacular!"  That is true! The chef at Wa San Mai was able to handle the cooking and the performance with masterful culinary sensitivity and timing, placing in front of us, simple yet fantastic and surprising dishes that are not to be missed - teppanyaki at Wa San Mai is an absolute and delicious tour de force!

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

INFO

和三昧  Wa San Mai 

22/F, East Point Centre, 555 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay 銅鑼灣軒尼詩道555號東角中心22樓

Telephone: 2831 8989